Improvement in surgical instruments



L. STILLIIAN. Surgical-Instrument.

Patented Feb. 23,3875.

Wi'ines es. MW 7 Z 72 men/50 7:

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO.-L|TH.398:.41 PARK PLAOE,N-Y-

- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT L. STILLMAN, OF RICHMOND, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,037, dated February 23, 1875; application filed 1 June 10, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT L. STILLMAN, of Richmond, in the county of Washington, State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful instrument to be used in cases of childbirth for the purpose of assisting and making an easy delivery; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction of the same, reference being had to the drawing on file, forming a part of the specification, in which a longitudinal section is represented, (see Figure 1,) which represents an air-pump communicating with the cavity of an oval cup, which is composed of some pliable substance, and encircled by dilators, so arranged as to be collapsed or dilated at will, and held collapsed or dilated at will by the use of elastic bands.

In the drawing, A represents oval elastic cup; B, passage that communicates with oval cup; 0, air pump; D, dilators; E, elastic band; F, screw for holding dilators at any point desired; G, elastic band H, cavity, placed upon the head or such .proper part as is presented.

'Whenlaborhasbecomeexhaustedor obstructed, a proper presentation having been made of the child toward the inferior strait, the elastic cup is then introduced into the vagina by flattening the two sides of the elastic cup A, and turning the same over partially, so as to bring the outside edge nearly on a line with the air-pump and dilators. This cup will of itself, after its introduction, regain its original shape. The cavity of the cup is then placed upon the vertex of the head (or such other proper part as is presented) of the child. The dilators are then introduced by sliding the collar that holds them on the barrel of the airpump toward the cup, and held in that position by turning the screw F. The dilators are then used, and held dilated by sliding the elastic band toward the handle of the pump. The air is then exhausted from the cavity of the cup by the use of the air-pump, which, in connection withthe pressure given by the use of the dilators, will cause it to adhere to the child with sufficient force to insure extraction.

I claim The compound instrument composed of the oval elastic cup, communicating with the airump, and of the side dilators, all arrangedin the manner and for the purposes shown.

HERBERT L. STILLMAN.

Signed in presence of- WM. H. GHAMPLIN, SARAH M. LOOK. 

